Imagining Education Otherwise: Mapping Mentorship, Networks, and the Power of Remembering

• In Event: Mapping the Long Haul: Cartographies of Mentoring Journeys

Abstract

Statement of Purpose
Leadership in educational settings has long been dominated by hierarchical, individualistic, and performance-driven paradigms that marginalize women, particularly women of color and those from rural or underserved communities. Navigating these landscapes often means contending with systemic exclusion, tokenism, and expectations of conformity, while carrying a profound affective burden. The 2025 Women Leading Ed Insight Survey reveals that nearly 90% of women in educational leadership report feeling pressured to adjust their speech, dress, or behavior to fit gendered norms. This study maps how women in education resist these dominant leadership narratives through micro-collectives—intentional, trust-based networks operating within third spaces. These micro-collectives serve as sites of solidarity, co-mentorship, and reflection, grounded in comunidad—a cultural practice rooted in shared responsibility, mutual care, and belonging. Through this mapping, the study repositions resilience not as individual grit but as a collective, relational practice that sustains inclusive leadership identities and culturally grounded ways of leading.

Theoretical Framework
The study is anchored in comunidad, centering relational leadership, mutual accountability, and a moral obligation to uplift one another amid structural inequities. Four interrelated theoretical frameworks guide the inquiry:
Transformational Leadership Theory (Bass & Riggio, 2006): Emphasizes trust, shared vision, and collaboration.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943): Highlights how third spaces meet essential emotional and psychological needs.
Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005): Uplifts non-dominant forms of capital—familial, aspirational, navigational, and resistant.
Affective Labor and Resilience Theory (Hochschild, 1983; Gu & Day, 2013): Frames how collective care mitigates burnout and nurtures sustainable leadership.
Together, these frameworks challenge dominant, individualistic leadership models and reimagine leadership as community-rooted and values-driven.

Methods
As the first phase of a three-phase qualitative design, the study employs narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) to explore the lived experiences of six women in educational leadership. Participants represent diverse racial, professional, and regional backgrounds and are members of informal support networks. Six semi-structured Zoom interviews (approximately 60 minutes each) focused on how micro-collectives formed, the emotional and professional support exchanged, and how these relationships shaped their leadership identities. Topics included belonging, mentorship, third-space practices, and intergenerational dialogue. Interviews were transcribed, pseudonymized, and securely stored.

Data Analysis
Data were coded using Gee’s (2014) Discourse Analysis, with attention to emotional discourse, leadership framing, shared values, and relational accountability. Coding illuminated how participants articulated care, vulnerability, and resistance through their narratives.

Results
Three central themes emerged:
Shared Values – Trust and mutual accountability ground collective leadership.
Co-Mentoring in Safe Spaces – Vulnerability and intergenerational dialogue fostered personal and professional growth.
Validation and Confidence – Peer affirmation reduced isolation and strengthened leadership identity.
Participants described leadership as a communal journey, not a solitary act.

Conclusion
This study disrupts dominant leadership discourses by mapping the power of comunidad and informal mentorship. It affirms that women are leading through care, reflection, and connection, not titles. In imagining education otherwise, micro-collectives offer a hopeful, equity-driven alternative for sustaining leadership.

Authors

• Dina Pacis, National University San Diego

• Anne Ritter, National University

• Nilsa J. Thorsos, National University